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Standoff at Ukraine base in Crimea

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Men in dark green uniforms at Crimea base politely standing next to Ukrainian soldiers

There is an air of calm at base with protesters chanting

That calmness is in stark contrast with increasingly heated political rhetoric

Amid the chaos in Ukraine, an odd standoff played out Sunday at one military base on the country's Crimean peninsula.

Several hundred men, wearing dark green camouflage uniforms without insignia, surrounded Ukraine's Perevalnoye base near the Crimean capital of Simferopol, according to a CNN crew that was there.

But rather than the tense scene one might expect with two forces facing off, the men -- who were on foot and in a dozen or so vehicles -- walked peacefully near 15 Ukrainian soldiers standing guard at the base.

Reporters have walked right up to the men in dark green and asked them who they are, but they have refused to respond. The Ukrainian soldiers are doing the same.

That mood continued amid crowds of civilians who were there to voice their opinions about the chaos that has enveloped Ukraine in recent months, starting with street protests that were sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych's rejection of a trade deal with the European Union. Yanukovych was ousted February 22.

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Photos: Crisis in Ukraine132 photos

Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian tanks are transported from their base in Perevalne, Crimea, on Wednesday, March 26. After Russian troops seized most of Ukraine's bases in Crimea, interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from the peninsula, citing Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian marines wave as they leave a base in Feodosia, Crimea, on Tuesday, March 25.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian sailors stand on the deck of the corvette ship Suzdalets in the bay of Sevastopol, Crimea, on March 25.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian militia members remove a local resident as Russian troops assault the Belbek air base, outside Sevastopol, on Saturday, March 22. Following its annexation of Crimea, Russian forces have consolidated their control of the region.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers in unmarked uniforms sit atop an armored personnel carrier at the gate of the Belbek air base on March 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian sailor holds the Russian Navy's St. Andrew's flag while standing on the bow of the surrendered Ukrainian submarine Zaporozhye on March 22 in Sevastopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the final decree completing the annexation of Crimea on Friday, March 21, as Upper House Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, left, and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin watch.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian serviceman leaves a Ukrainian military unit that Russian soldiers took control of in Perevalne on March 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian border guards run during training at a military camp in Alekseyevka, Ukraine, on March 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers patrol the area surrounding a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalne on Thursday, March 20.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian protesters remove the gate to the Ukrainian navy headquarters as Russian troops stand guard in Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 19.

Crisis in Ukraine – A member of pro-Russian forces takes down a Ukrainian flag at the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Alexander Vitko, chief of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, leaves the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol after pro-Russian forces took it over on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian flag waves as workers install a new sign on a parliament building in Simferopol, Crimea's capital, on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian military personnel surround a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 19.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Nameplates on the front of the Crimean parliament building get removed Tuesday, March 18, in Simferopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – From left, Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov; Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament; Russian President Vladimir Putin; and Alexei Chaly, the new de facto mayor of Sevastopol, join hands in Moscow on March 18 after signing a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators hold a Crimean flag at Lenin Square in Simferopol on March 18.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint near Strilkove, Ukraine, close to Crimea on Monday, March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Former boxer and Ukrainian politician Vitali Klitschko addresses reporters in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops stand guard in front of the Ukrainian Parliament building in Kiev on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian man applies for the National Guard at a mobile recruitment center in Kiev on March 17.

Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier stands on top of an armored vehicle at a military camp near the village of Michurino, Ukraine, on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Policemen stand guard outside the regional state administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, during a rally by pro-Russia activists March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed soldiers stand guard outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man holds a Crimean flag as he stands in front of the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol on March 17.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Crimeans holding Russian flags celebrate in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on Sunday, March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer tries to shield himself from a road block thrown by pro-Russia supporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators storm the prosecutor general's office during a rally in Donetsk on March 16.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A child casts her mother's ballot March 16 while holding a Russian flag at a polling station in Simferopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier, with the Russian flag behind him, mans a machine gun outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on Saturday, March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier guards the perimeter outside an Ukrainian military base in Perevalne on March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian flags wave in front of a monument dedicated to Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin during a pro-Russia rally in Simferopol's Lenin Square on March 15.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Evgenyi Batyukhov cries March 14 at the site where pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists clashed the night before in Donetsk, Ukraine.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A line of policemen stand in front of a bus of pro-Ukrainian activists as pro-Russian supporters confront them during a rally in Donetsk on Thursday, March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian supporters clash with pro-Ukrainian activists in Donetsk on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto walks through Independence Square in Kiev on March 13. During his Oscars acceptance speech in early March, the actor spoke to protesters in Ukraine and Venezuela saying, "We're thinking of you tonight."

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Crisis in Ukraine – A member of a pro-Russian self-defense unit checks a polling station near Simferopol on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian soldier looks out of the window of a regional military building with a poster reading "Ukraine's armed forces wait for you!" in Donetsk on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An armed Cossack stands guard at a checkpoint on the road from Simferopol to Sevastopol on March 13.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A pro-Russian soldier speaks to a truck driver outside the Ukrainian infantry base in Perevalne on Wednesday, March 12.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks stand guard at Crimea's regional parliament building in Simferopol on March 12.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers are seen aboard the Ukrainian ship Slavutych in the harbor of Sevastopol on Tuesday, March 11.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian naval officers board a boat in front of the Russian minesweeper Turbinist in Sevastopol's harbor on March 11.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People shout slogans during a pro-Russia rally in Donetsk on Sunday, March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian police detain a demonstrator during a pro-Russian rally in Donetsk on March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters remove a Ukrainian flag from a flagpole taken from a government building in Donetsk on March 9.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Cossacks and other pro-Russian forces stand guard outside a government building in Simferopol on Saturday, March 8.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers load armored personnel carriers into boxcars in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 8.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men believed to be Russian military march in a village outside Simferopol on Friday, March 7.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia protesters demonstrate outside the Belbek air base, near Sevastopol, on Thursday, March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian navy officer looks at the scuttled, decommissioned Russian vessel Ochakov from the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, Ukraine, on March 6. Russian naval personnel scuttled the ship, blockading access for five Ukrainian naval vessels.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A member of the Russian military patrols around Perevalne on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Servicemen guard a checkpoint at a Ukrainian navy base in Perevalne on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops guard the Belbek air base on March 6.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman walks past barricades March 6 that were set up by anti-government protesters in Kiev's Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor guards the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych in the Bay of Sevastopol on Wednesday, March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People wait in line for food distribution in Independence Square on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian sailors carry meat to their vessel in the Sevastopol harbor on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Riot police stand at the entrance of a regional administrative building during a rally in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian police officer gives instructions to members of the media in front of the business class lounge of the Simferopol airport on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave a Russian flag after storming a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators break a police barrier as they storm a regional administrative building in Donetsk on March 5.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military recruits line up to receive instructions in Kiev's Independence Square on Tuesday, March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People stand on the Ukrainian Navy ship Slavutych while it's at harbor in Sevastopol on March 4. Mattresses were placed over the side of the ship to hinder any attempted assault.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian troops watch as a Russian navy ship blocks the entrance of the Ukrainian navy base in Sevastopol on March 4.

Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine March 4 for the people who were killed in February during anti-government protests in Kiev.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Yuli Mamchun, the commander of the Ukrainian military garrison at the Belbek air base near Sevastopol, salutes on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers stand guard at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian military members march at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers fire warning shots to keep back Ukrainian military members at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Ukrainian airman puts the Ukrainian national flag over the gate of the Belbek air base as they guard what's left under their control on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian soldiers aim a grenade launcher and machine gun as they guard positions at the Belbek air base on March 4.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutych in the Sevastopol harbor on Monday, March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier, kisses his girlfriend, Svetlana, through the gates of the Belbek base entrance on March 3. Tensions are high at the base, where Ukrainian soldiers were standing guard inside the building while alleged Russian gunmen were standing guard outside the gates.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Wives of Ukrainian soldiers walk past Russian soldiers to visit their husbands guarding a military base in Perevalne on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A Russian soldier guards an area outside Ukraine's military base in the village of Perevalne on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A sailor looks out a window near the entrance to the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 3.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men in military uniform walk outside a Ukrainian military unit near Simferopol on Sunday, March 2. Hundreds of armed men in trucks and armored vehicles surrounded the Ukrainian base Sunday in Crimea, blocking its soldiers from leaving.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Soldiers walk outside a Ukrainian military base in Perevalne as a local resident waves a Russian flag March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Demonstrators shout during a rally in Kiev's Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers, left, and unidentified gunmen, right, stand at the gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Perevalne on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters hold flags of the United States, Germany and Italy during a rally in Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People attend a morning prayer service at Independence Square on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A soldier and a truck driver unload bread outside the Ukranian navy headquarters in Sevastopol on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Heavily armed troops, displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants, stand guard outside a local government building in Simferopol on March 2.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman waits in front of unidentified men in military fatigues who were blocking a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Crisis in Ukraine – People gather around the coffin of a man who was killed during clashes with riot police in Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists hold Russian flags during a rally in the center of Donetsk on March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan supporters as they storm the regional government building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A protester stands at a memorial March 1 for the people killed in clashes at Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men patrol outside the Simferopol International Airport on Friday, February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An image provided to CNN by a local resident shows Russian tanks on the move in Sevastopol.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Russian troops block a road February 28 toward the military airport in Sevastopol. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is based at the port city.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Armed men stand guard in front of a building near the Simferopol airport on February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – An armed man wearing no identifying insignia patrols outside Simferopol International Airport on February 28.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police stand guard outside the Crimea regional parliament building Thursday, February 27, in Simferopol. Armed men seized the regional government administration building and parliament in Crimea.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police intervene as Russian supporters gather in front of the parliament building in Simferopol on February 27.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man adds fuel to a fire at a barricade in Independence Square on February 27. Dozens of people were killed during clashes between security forces and protesters.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russia demonstrators wave Russian and Crimean flags in front of a local government building in Simferopol on February 27.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Barricades in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27 hold a banner that reads: "Crimea Russia." There's a broad divide between those who support the pro-Western developments in Kiev and those who back Russia's continued influence in Crimea and across Ukraine.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters stand in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 27. Tensions have simmered in the Crimea region since the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters in support of the president's ouster rally in Independence Square, which has been the center of opposition, on Wednesday, February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Security forces stand guard during clashes between opposing sides in front of Crimea's parliament building in Simferopol on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Pro-Russian demonstrators, right, clash with anti-Russian protesters in front of a government building in Simferopol on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A police officer gets pulled into a crowd of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol on February 26. The Tatars, an ethnic minority group deported during the Stalin era, rallied in support of Ukraine's interim government.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man places flowers at a barricade near Independence Square on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – On February 26 in Kiev, a woman holds a photograph of a protester killed during the height of tensions.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Police guard a government building in Donetsk on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters remove a fence that surrounds Ukraine's parliament in Kiev on February 26.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People sing the Ukrainian national anthem at Independence Square on Monday, February 24.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Gas masks used by protesters sit next to a barricade in Independence Square on February 24.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A woman cries February 24 near a memorial for the people killed in Kiev.

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Crisis in Ukraine – People wave a large Ukrainian flag in Independence Square on Sunday, February 23.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Two pro-government supporters are made to pray February 23 in front of a shrine to dead anti-government protesters.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A man and his daughter lay flowers at a memorial for protesters killed in Independence Square.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks at Independence Square on Saturday, February 22, hours after being released from prison. Tymoshenko, considered a hero of a 2004 revolution against Yanukovych, was released after 2½ years behind bars.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Tymoshenko is greeted by supporters shortly after being freed from prison in Kharkiv on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – A protester guards the entrance to Yanukovych's abandoned residence outside Kiev on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters guard the streets next to the presidential offices in Kiev on February 22.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Anti-government protesters drive a military vehicle in Independence Square on February 22. Many protesters said they wouldn't leave the square until Yanukovych resigned.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Ukrainian lawmakers argue during a session of Parliament on Friday, February 21.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Men in Kiev carry a casket containing the body of a protester killed in clashes with police.

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Crisis in Ukraine – Protesters cheer after news of an agreement between the opposing sides in Kiev on February 21.

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There has been a deepening schism in the country ever since, between those in the west -- who generally support the interim government and its European Union tilt -- and those in the east, who prefer a Ukraine where Russia casts a long shadow.

Emotions are most intense in Crimea, the last major stronghold of opposition to the new political leadership. Ukraine suspects Russia of fomenting tension in the autonomous region that might escalate a bid for separation by its Russian majority.

Kiev mobilized troops and called up military reservists. Russian generals led their troops to three bases in the region and demanded Ukrainian forces surrender and hand over their weapons, Vladislav Seleznyov, spokesman for the Crimean Media Center of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, told CNN.

Speaking by phone, he said Russian troops had blocked access to the bases.

But, he added, "there is no open confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian military forces in Crimea." He said Ukrainian troops continue to protect and serve Ukraine.

At the base Sunday, pro-Russian protesters chanted on one side of the street, while pro-Ukrainian protesters, including a priest and a man who read aloud from the Bible, rallied on the other. A group of women sang in support with Ukraine. Those who supported Russian intervention marched carrying Russian flags. They sang "Crimea is part of Russia" and recited verses that suggested former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev gave Crimea away, from Russia to Ukraine, in the 1950s without the consent of the people. There was a brief shouting match between the protesters but the peace was maintained.

In the meantime, political rhetoric heated up and Ukraine's leaders foreshadowed more ominous days ahead.

"This is a red alert. This is not a threat," Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said. "This is actually a declaration of war to my country."

Speaking in a televised address from the parliament building in Kiev, he called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to "pull back his military and stick to the international obligations."

"We are on the brink of the disaster."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry blasted what he described as Russia's "incredible act of aggression" during an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday

Other countries are "prepared to put sanctions in place, they're prepared to isolate Russia economically," he said.

Opinions about what is best for the region are divided.

In Kiev, thousands of people rallied in the central Independence Square, the cradle of Ukraine's three-month anti-government protests that led to Yanukovych's ouster. The crowd held up signs reading "Crimea, we are with you" and "Putin, hands off Ukraine."

At a military base in Crimea, a car carrying Russian troops rolled up early Sunday morning.

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They commanded Ukrainian troops to lay down their weapons and mount the Russian flag, Sergei Stichenko, chief of the Central Operative Force of Ukraine's Navy, told Crimean network ATR TV. A Russian captain ordered them to leave.

Stichenko said he refused.

"I told him no one is going to leave the base. Moreover, no one is going to go to the side of the Russian Federation," he said. "We only obey commands from Kiev."

But back at another military base near Simferopol, a 66-year-old man named Nikolai Petukhov marched up to the entrance of the facility carrying a Russian flag. He told CNN that he hoped Putin would facilitate democratic elections in Ukraine.

When asked whether he thinks Crimea should be part of Russia or Ukraine, he said, "If you look at it logically, it should be part of Russia."

Back in the Perevalnoye base, more civilians showed up to join the protest groups. Some women held up signs that said, "God save your people."

A Ukrainian woman named Kseniya spoke to CNN. She was skeptical that a peace would hold for long, of the men in the dark green, she said. They "say they are here to protect us, but who will they protect us from?" she asked.

Waving a Russian flag, Petukhov, a former soldier, insists Crimea is Russian and should return to Russia with Putin's help.